Frequently Asked Questions

Here at Nichef, we care about what our users think or wonder. So here we have answers to most of your questions. If you have any other questions that we don't cover here, please send us message below and we will be happy to add it to this list. If you are a Chef or someone who enjoys cooking, please scroll down to see what other chefs have asked us so far.

~ FOR FOODIES ~

How do I register to use this platform?

Signing up to use the nichef marketplace is fast and easy. Just click the link on the top right hand corner “Sign Up”. You can sign up with your facebook credentials or your email. After your have confirmed your email, you are ready to go!

How do I reserve a chef?

To reserve a Chef you will need to sign up and create a Foodie profile. Once you have created and activated your profile, you can then start searching for a memorable experience by type of cuisine, location, and date. We recommend submitting a request at least 1 week before your event date. Once you request a chef, the chef will accept or decline your booking within 24hrs. If you have any dietary restrictions, you can message the chef directly through Nichef’s messaging system.

How should I handle the communication with the chef?

For your safety, all communication should be conducted through Nichef’s platform to protect both parties should a dispute arise. Any verbal communication or any external e-mail or texting communication between the Foodie and the Chef will not be taken into consideration in the event of a dispute. Nichef will only consider communication done via Nichef’s workflow. *See Nichef’s Terms and Conditions.

What is a reasonable budget / how does pricing work?

This is very subjective and will depend on the Nichef experience you are looking for. Experiences will range in price depending on number of guests, quantity and type of food and proposed value of the chef’s experience. You could have two chefs cooking the same type of meal but if one feels the value of his experience is worth $150 he will charge accordingly. The same meal could be prepared by a student right out of culinary school who is looking for some experience in the kitchen and he could charge $50. This all depends on what you are looking for and what your budget is.

Why is the experience price separated from the Ingredients cost?

Nichef is about the experience. For the chef to connect with you we collect a fee from them to sustain our platform. We don't think it is necessary to have our Clients pay a fee on the Ingredients on top of that. That is why we have separated the Experience cost from the Ingredients cost.

What is included?

When you pay for a reservation, it includes the cost of the ingredients, the chef’s rate and the cleaning service before you are served.

What if I need to cancel?

We understand that things out of your control can happen. Check the Chefs cancellation policy to see your refund options. The Chef will be purchasing fresh ingredients for your meal and because of that we have a strict 24 hour cancellation policy for the Ingredients cost. If you cancel 24 hours before your reservation and depending on the Chefs cancellation policy, your payment will be refunded in coordination with the Chef. However, PayPal will refund the percentage portion of their fees, but not the fixed fees. With that being said, if you are elegible for full refund, the full amount minus $0.60 will be refunded. For sensitive matters, you may get in touch with us here.

Are Nichef’s transactions secure and PCI-compliant?

Security is critical for online monetary transactions in Nichef. The Payment Card Industry (PCI)—the organizations that handle branded credit cards from the major card providers, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB—provides a security standard that is often used as a reference. Nichef does not store or process any credit card information. All credit card information is handled by PayPal, Nichef’s payment processor. Because of this, PCI-compliance is not directly applicable to Nichef. PayPal is fully PCI-compliant and a trusted payment processor. That being said, Nichef takes security issues very seriously and follows best practices to make sure that your marketplace data is safe.

Why do I see the word "shipping" sometimes on the Site?

When you see the word "Shipping" anywhere on our site, we ask you to replace it with "ingredients" Why? We are a start-up company and have done the best we can as a start-up to build this site. As site administrators, we do not want a percentage of the ingredients cost. If we made it part of the experience cost, Nichef would take 10% of that too. We want the Ingredients to always be 100% transparent with no mark-up at all. The only work-around to make this possible was to change the "shipping cost" to the "ingredients cost". We are constantly working on the website and will have a fix for this soon, thank you for your understanding and patience!

~ FOR CHEFS ~

How do I become a Chef?

Signing up to use the Nichef marketplace is fast and easy. Just click the link on the top right hand corner “Sign Up”. You can sign up with your Facebook credentials or your email. After your have confirmed your email you are ready to “offer and experience”. However in order to receive payment, you must connect your Paypal account to your Nichef account. Please see “How to get paid”, here in the FAQ’s.

How do I set-up my profile to maximize bookings?

Here are a few tips:

Use a clear professional photo for your profile picture.

In your mini bio, the more you say, the better. Foodies will want to know a little bit about their chef before they invite them into their home. Tell a little bit about your history with cooking and why your experience will be one they will enjoy and remember.

Try to cater to everyone’s budget: Having a wide variety of meals and price ranges allows for more booking opportunities.

Pictures of your meals: The more pictures, the more cravings you will envoke! The clearer and higher quality pictures, the better.

Once you receive a booking, be sure to go above and beyond to assure a positive rating which in turn will help you gain more bookings!

What if a foodie would like to modify the existing booking?

If your host headcount or preferred date has changed and you already have a confirmed booking, we advise being flexible (whenever possible) and accommodating your host. You and the host can discuss how the price may change.You will need to refund the first booking through PayPal and create a custom booking for the foodie with desired changes.

Are there any fees?

Nichef needs to keep our employees happy, and our platform up to date with technology innovation. We take a Chef transaction fee of 10% on the final agreed price on every booking made. Also, this way we will never have sign-up fees!

How does the referral program work?

For every user (chef or foodie) that you refer, we will wave our booking fee on your next booking once they complete their first transaction. Send us the your name and the name or email of your referral to Experience@nichef.com and we will keep it on file.

What if a foodie cancels my booking?

That would be unfortunate, but unforeseen events can happen. Currently the only way to refund the foodie is manually. You will have 3 business days to refund the full amount of the reservation. This is done very easily through PayPal. The Foodie must cancel the reservation 24 hours ahead of time. If the cancellation occurs before 24 hours, the foodie will not be refunded the reservation cost. Another piece of advice would be to only purchase ingredients on the same day. This will also ensure freshness of the produce and tastier culinary experience for your host.

A foodie sent me a request. What's the next step?

First, you should get excited! Then, check your schedule. Make sure you are available for the reservation. Your calendar should only reflect available dates, but we understand sometimes you can forget to keep it updated. Once you have made sure you can be there, confirm the booking with the Foodie. Not earlier than 24 hours ahead of the reservation, go out and buy the necessary ingredients for the meal, the fresher ingredients, the better! Make sure to always be on time and look presentable, remember you are running your own little business. Your reviews will reflect the overall experience the foodie had with you.

How should I price my menus?

It is all up to you and will depend on multiple factors: ingredients, number of courses, number of guests, time spent in the kitchen, etc... We would suggest you showcase multiple meals at different price points and for different occasions in order to appeal to different audiences of Foodies out there.

How do I get paid?

On the Nichef platform we currently have PayPal as our payment processor. In order to get paid, Chefs must create an account with them if you do not already have one.

First, chefs must create or connect a PayPal account. Also, you must give permission to Nichef Technologies to charge a transaction fee. You must connect a Paypal account in order to receive a booking.

Chefs must have a Business account with PayPal. This is required in order to process credit card payments from non-PayPal users. If you don't have a business account, upgrading your existing account or creating a new PayPal Business account is quick and free of charge. There are no additional or hidden costs involved. To upgrade to a PayPal business account, go to http://www.paypal.com/upgrade.

For detailed directions on how to sign up for PayPal, upgrade to PayPal Business and connect your PayPal to your Nichef account click here. Note that in some countries, PayPal might requires some extra verification: don't hesitate to contact PayPal support to learn more about the details related to such an upgrade in your local area.

When do I get paid?

You will receive the payment for your services as soon as you accept the booking request. You can learn more about it from the PayPal payment flow. If something goes wrong, it is possible to issue a refund later on via PayPal.

Why do I see the word "shipping" sometimes on the Site?

When you see the word "Shipping" anywhere on our site, we ask you to replace it with "ingredients" Why? We are a start-up company and have done the best we can as a start-up to build this site. As site administrators, we do not want a percentage of the ingredients cost. If we made it part of the experience cost, Nichef would take 10% of that too. We want the Ingredients to always be 100% transparent with no mark-up at all. The only work-around to make this possible was to change the "shipping cost" to the "ingredients cost". We are constantly working on the website and will have a fix for this soon, thank you for your understanding and patience!

What about taxes?

When tax season rolls around, you will have to sign into your Paypal account and download your Anual Financial Summary Report. To find this report, go to Reports -> Financial Summaries -> Annual Financial Summary. Use this information to fill out Form 1040. Use Schedule C (Form 1040) to report income or (loss) from a business you operated or a profession you practiced as a sole proprietor. An activity qualifies as a business if your primary purpose for engaging in the activity is for income or profit and you are involved in the activity with continuity and regularity which in this case, cooking on Nichef qualifies. If you reach $20,000 in sales and had 200 transactions in that fiscal year, PayPal will send you the correct 1099K documentation with clear instructions on how to file.

If you have any further questions that were not covered here, please feel free to reach out by sending a message in the form below or book a call with us here